Sunday, August 06, 2006

Recent Bonfires- 26

In the news this week:

100 million Euros pa for EU child propaganda- "The Raspberry Ice-Cream War, published by the European Commission, tells the story of a group of intrepid youngsters who travel back through time to a land where there are still nations and borders. They explain to the ignorant inhabitants that, where they come from - the EU - frontiers have been abolished and, with them, every misery and misfortune that used to afflict mankind... Let's Draw Europe Together, in which young readers are invited to colour in such phrases as "Europe - my country"... For older children, there is Captain Euro, a square-jawed superhero whose mission "to uphold the EU's values" brings him into conflict with the villainous - and for some reason Jewish-looking - Dr D. Vider, who plots "to divide Europe and create his own empire"... Troubled Waters is a Tintin-style cartoon strip - except that, in place of the drippy Belgian reporter, we get a sexy MEP as the heroine. Among the lines of dialogue are: "You can laugh! Wait until you've seen my amendments to the commission proposal!" and, "I seem to spend my whole life on the train between Brussels and Strasbourg, but I'd hate to have to choose between mussels and chips and Strasbourg onion tart!"... These publications are funded out of the EU's information and communication budget, which currently stands at slightly more than 100 million euros a year." (Telegraph 5.8.06)

£800,000 on Home Office taxis- "Home Office staff have spent more than £800,000 on taxi fares in the past year - clocking up enough chauffeur-driven miles to travel 17 times around the globe. Earlier this year the Home Office was accused by the public spending watchdog, the National Audit Office, of showing 'casual disregard' for taxpayers' money over its accounts. The journeys represent a 162 per cent increase over five years ago, when the department's bill was £307,000." (Mail on Sunday 6.8.06)

Bust quango blows another £250,000 on corporate trinkets- "Scottish Enterprise has advertised for a contract to supply £250,000 worth of promotional corporate giftware. A spokesman said "The tender for corporate gifts is part of our contribution to the Efficient Government initiative"... It emerged last April that the jobs quango was £34m in the red on an annual budget of £530m... and... £30m of this year's cash was used to meet budget commitments in the past financial year... Scottish Enterprise has come under fire for spending millions on outside consultants and for spending too much money on itself. In May the quango was criticised for shelling out at least £30,000 a year on chauffeur-driven limousines for senior staff at a time when the organisation was struggling to control massive overspending." (Scotsman 6.8.06)

BOM the book now available

Drawing on six years of blogging government waste, this book shows how we spend far more than we need on our public services. It sets out the facts and explores the underlying issues. Just why does government spend so much and deliver such second rate service? Why do we put up with it? And what are the alternatives?

ABOUT BOM

Despite all the talk of cuts, government still consumes nearly half our national income. Yet many tens of billions of its spending is wasted, with taxpayers made to pick up the tab for a depressing array of overpriced sub-standard services. This is money we can no longer afford, and our National Debt is already at danger level.

If we're to avoid further decades of stagnation and austerity we urgently need to find another way. Exposing and understanding the wastefulness of government is a necessary step in the right direction.